growing woad

Sow seeds thinly space in March in seed trays. Cover lightly with soil and keep moist. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant them outside, leaving a foot of space between each. Woad likes an alkaline soil, so an application of lime, one week prior to planting, will give them the proper soil pH.

Is woad a perennial?

Dyer's woad is an erect biennial herb that grows to four feet tall. It can also sometimes act as an annual or shortlived perennial. Before growing its flowering stems, the plant exists as a basal rosette for a growing season.

Is woad a hallucinogen?

"The blue part of the Woad is not any sort of hallucinogen, despite lore to the contrary. The raw sap crushed from fresh Woad leaves sometimes causes surface skin numbness, slight dizziness, and in certain bloodlines, a vague impression of less danger or more confidence.

How do you harvest woad seeds?

Harvest the pods when they are dry and purple. Store the seeds in the pods. The pods contain a germination inhibitor. Remove the seeds from the pods before planting.

What is the difference between woad and indigo?

Indigo produces rich blue colour. woad was a plant of the temperate zones which produced dull blue colour. indigo was a plant of the tropics which produces a rich blue colour and was preferred over woad by the cloth dyers.

How do you make woad dye?

Take the leaves from the base of the plant and then cut them into small pieces. Submerge the torn or cut leaves in a stainless steel pan of water and bring up to a temperature of 175F (80C). Simmer for about 10 minutes. Cool the woad dye down as quickly as possible, so that the leaves don't breakdown too much.

Where can I find woad?

Woad is native to the steppe and desert zones of the Caucasus, Central Asia to Eastern Siberia and Western Asia (per Hegi) but is now also found in South-Eastern and Central Europe and western North America.

Did Vikings use woad?

“All the Britons dye their bodies with woad, which produces a blue colour, and this gives them a more terrifying appearance in battle.” Vikings may have learned of and adopted this tactic during the period of their invasion and subsequent immersion in Britain, though I haven't seen evidence of this.

Why did Celts paint themselves blue?

So, where did the idea about the Picts painting themselves blue originate from? Julius Caesar once noted that the Celts got blue pigment from the woad plant and that they used it to decorate their bodies. ... It has also been theorized that the real use of woad was perhaps intended to heal the scars after the battle.

Did the Picts have tattoos?

While many churches were built in wood, from the early 8th century, if not earlier, some were built in stone. The Picts are often said to have tattooed themselves, but evidence for this is limited.

How do you identify woad?

All leaves have a prominent cream colored mid-rib extending the entire length of the leaf, and a bluish-green color. The leaf color and prominent mid-rib are good identifying characteristics of dyer's woad. The weed has a thick, fleshy tap root that penetrates down to 3 feet into the soil.

What does the woad plant look like?

Woad (Isatis tinctoria) is an erect biennial that grows to between 1-3 feet, sometimes up to 4 feet in height. Its leaves are bluish green overlaid with a powdery white fluff. The leaves are narrow and lightly serrated to wavy.

What does indigo mean?

Indigo is a deep midnight blue. It is a combination of deep blue and violet and holds the attributes of both these colors. ... Powerful and dignified, indigo conveys integrity and deep sincerity. The color meaning of indigo reflects great devotion, wisdom and justice along with fairness and impartiality.

Why Indigo was considered better than woad in textile industries?

European cloth manufacturers therefore had to depend on another plant called woad to make violet and blue dyes. Cloth dyers, however, preferred indigo as a dye because indigo produced rich blue color, whereas the dye from woad was pale and dull. So, it was very profitable for them.

What are the two main systems of indigo production?

The two main systems of Indigo cultivation in Bengal were Nij and Ryoti. In the Nij system, the British planters produced indigo in lands that they directly controlled. In the Ryoti system, the planters signed a contract with a peasant (a ryot) under which the peasant was compelled to grow indigo.

What Colour dye does the woad plant yield?

WOAD (Isatis tinctoria)

It is closely related to broccoli and cabbage. Both indigo and woad provide us with a beautiful blue dye. The chemical which gives the blue dye is called indigotin.

How do you dye wool with woad?

Dyeing Techniques

The fermentation removes the oxygen from the vat making the woad soluble. Wool or fabric is dipped into the vat, left for a few minutes, and then removed. At first the wool is pale yellow, but with exposure to air, the colour gradually turns to green and then to blue.

What is woad powder?

The leaves of the woad plant contain the same dye as Indian Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria), although in a weaker concentration. ... This makes coloring with woad a much more subtle and delicate art. Woad was used to dye the uniforms of Napolean's army.

Is Dyer's woad poisonous?

Although dyer's woad is not toxic, it is unpalatable to livestock.

What Colour is Wode?

Learn more about the Woad plant (Isatis tinctoria), a famous natural dye and source of natural indigo dye, used for several thousand years (see woad history) in Europe and the Middle East. Woad dye extraction produces natural indigo dye from the dark blue-green, spinach-like woad leaves. Buy woad pigment here.

How do you make natural blue dye?

To make a blue food dye, slice up red cabbage leaves and boil for 10-15 minutes. Strain out the cabbage, reduce the liquid until it is thick and syrupy (the cooking liquid from a whole cabbage will reduce to about a quarter of a cup. Now you have an intensely purple syrup.